Drum-handle for tape-line reels



c. w. CROGAN. DRUM HANDLE FOR TAPE LINE REEL-S. APPLICATION FILED IULY I0, I9I9- RENEWED MAR. 1,192I.

1,375,630. I Patented A t-19,1921.

fi ial.

C. W. CFQQ m UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFIQE.

DRUM-HANDLE FOR TAPE-LINE HEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Application filed July 10, 1919, Serial No. 303,946. Renewed March 1, 1921. Serial No. 448,866.

T 0 all 1.0 ham it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES l/V. Cnoean, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bangor, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drum-Handles for Tape-Line Reels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved foldable handle for the winding drums of tape line reels in which the handle is automatically sprung to operative position by slight pressure exerted upon a conveniently accessible button located in the drum at a point adjacent the handle.

Another object is the provision of an automatic projecting device for the handle of a tape reel drum which is so constructed as to afford means for releasably retaining the handle in folded or inoperative position.

With these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds the invention comprises the novel features. of construction, accompanied by elements and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described in the following specification and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a well known type of tape line reel illustrating the invention applied to use,

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of the winding drum, removed from the casing illustrating the controlling device for the handle in detail,

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary sectional view through the drum in the plane of the longitttdinal axis of the handle, and,

Fig. 4: represents a diametrical sectional View through the drum in the plane of the longitudinal axis of the retaining spring for the handle.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates a conventional typeof tape line reel casing and although a particular shape of easing has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing it is to be understood that I am not limited in any respect to the type of casing to which the invention is applicable. As usual, the casing 5 constitutes a housing for the flexible tape line (not shown) the terminal of which is fastened to a circular drum 6 rotatably mounted adjacent the center of the casing 5 and provided with an annular flange 7 engaging the outer surface of one side wall of the casing to maintain the drum in proper relation thereto during rotary movement of the drum.

Apertured ears 8 are secured to or formed integral with the side wall of the drum 6 and receive a pivot pin 9 pivotally supportlng a plate 10 of a length slightly less than the diameter of the flange 7 and movable into facial abutment with the side wall of the drum 6, as illustrated in fulllines shown in Fig. 1 or movable outwardly to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 1 in which position the plate may be utilized to rotate the drum within the casing. The terminal of the pivoted plate carries a rotatably mounted handle or knob 11 which, when the plate 10 is swung to closed or inoperative position is received within a radially elongated aperture 12 formed in the side wall of the drum 6. The terminal of the knob 11 is enlarged and of substantially semi-spherical form providing a convex external surface for cooperation with the retaining and projectlng spring to be hereinafter more fully described.

One angular terminal 13 of a spring wire 14 is soldered or otherwise rigidly secured at 15 internally of the drum 6 at a point adjacent the knob 11 when the latter is in closed or inoperative position and the body portion of the spring wire extends across the opening 12 and is adapted to be engaged and flexed by the semi-spherical terminal of the knobll, during closing movement of the handle plate 10.

The opposite angular terminal 16 of the spring is rigidly connected with the flanged inner terminal 17 of a push button 18 slidably mounted in an aperture formed in the side wall of the drum 6 at a point adjacent the knob carrying terminal of the plate 10 and adapted to be moved inwardly with relation to the drum to flex the body portion of the spring 14 and cause the latter to slide upon the convex external surface of the knob. The inherent resiliency of the spring member 14: normally maintains the button 18 in outwardly projected position and a supplementary spring 19 of angular form is. secured at one terminal to the button 1S and is soldered or otherwise rigidly secured at its opposite end as indicated at 20 to the circular flange of the drum 6 and assists in maintaining the button in outwardly projected position.

In its normal position, the medial portion of the spring 14; is so disposed as to be flexed inwardly incident to the inward movement of the knob 11 of the pivoted handle and permits the most prominent portion of the spherical terminal of the knob to move inwardly past the axis of the spring and thus the latter exerting pressure against the convex surface of the knob maintains the latter together with the plate 10 in inwardly dis posed or inoperative position. However, in order to effect automatic projection of the knob from the drum it is simply necessary to depress the handle 18 thus flexing the spring 14 causing the medial portion of the latter to move inwardly over the prominent portion of the spherical terminal of the knob 11 and operating against the curved surface of the latter projects the knob outwardly oi the drum swinging the handle plate 10 to the dotted line position in Fig. l and so disposing the knob as to provide a handle for convenience in rotating the drum with relation to the casing 5 and winding the tape line thereon.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with the winding drum and'pivoted handle of a tape line reel, said handle including a knob having an en largedterminal, a U-shaped spring ooacting with said enlarged terminal of the knob, one end of said spring being soldered to the flange of said drum and its opposite end to a push button, an auxiliar'ytl-sl'iaped spring having one end thereof also soldered to the flange of the drum, rearwardly of the said terminal and its opposite end soldered to said push button to assist the first mentioned lJ-shaped spring in releasing the lrnob when pressure is applied to the push button.

2. In a device of the character described, a'tape case, a tape drum in said case having one end provided with an eccentric opening, a crank hinged to the end and provided with a handle adapted to pass through said eccentric opening when closed, a device movable through the end of the drum, and a spring acted upon by the handle when the crank is closed to tension said spring for friction ally lockingthe handle and operated by the device to cause the spring to ride over the handle and thereby automatically eject the latter from the opening.

3. In a device 01": the characterv described, a drum, a crank pivoted thereto and having a handle projected into the drum when the crank has been closed, means within the drum in the path of movement of the handle to frictionally engage the latter and become tensioned thereby for holding the handle in the drum, and means exposed. from the drum and operative upon the first named means to cause the same to ride upon the handle for the automatic ejecting thereof from the drum.

4i. In a device of the character described, a tape case, a tape drum in said case having one end provided with an eccentric opening, a crank hinged to the end and provided with a handle adapted to pass through said eccentric opening when closed, a device movable through the end of the drum, and a spring acted upon by the handle when the crank is closed to tension said spring for frictionally loci-ring the handle and operated by the device to cause the spring to ride over the handle and thereby automatically eject the latter from the opening, and a displaceable support for the lastnamed means. I

5. In a device of the character described, a tape case, a tape drum in said case having one end provided with an eccentric opening, a crank hinged to the end and provided with a handle adapted to pass through said eccentric opening when closed, a device movable through the end of the drum, and a spring acted upon by the handle when the crank is closed to tension said spring for frictionally locking the handle and operated by the device to cause the spring to ride over the handle and thereby automatically eject the latter from the opening, and a displaceable support for the last named means, the handle being formed with a bulged terminal for engaging the spring.

6. In a device of the character described,

a drum, a handle movable into and out of the same, means within the drum to tric tionally ride upon the handle for locking it within andej ecting the same trom the drum, and a device actuated from without the drum -tor operating-said means to more the same upon the handle.

In testimony whereof, I atfix my signature hereto.

CHARLES w. onoeiin." 

